The preferred specifications for a ski brake, as presented in issues of Skiing magazine, October 1975 and October 1976, indicate a ski brake should: stop the ski in less distance than the fallen skier will slide; stop the ski whether it is sliding forward, backward, or sideways; stop the ski regardless of slope steepness, snow conditions, or speed; not in itself be a hazard to the skier or other skiers on the slope, be unaffected by ice, corrosion, dirt, or normal use; relatch after a fall and not activate inadvertently; not interfere with proper binding function or performance; not be a hazard under non-skiing conditions while the ski is being serviced, transported, or stored; in addition, the ski brake should be easy to install, easy to enter, easy to transport, and be durable without requiring frequent or complicated maintenance.
The ski brakes described in the above mentioned articles have tried it is said to both successfully and unsuccessfully meet these standards. The most common type of ski brake design employs a two pronged, springloaded braking arm that lays flat along the ski edge, where it may be damaged in normal use, may interfere with the ski edge, and generally is said to be less effective at stopping the ski in one direction because of the direction of the transverse rotation of both the braking components and their actuating springs. Presently a less common type of ski brake design utilizes a ski brake, which generally rotates through 270.degree. under spring force about a longitudinal axis, from a transverse position below a ski boot, when freed, to a perpendicular position below the edge of the ski to serve as a ski brake.